Castle of Memory
by tbiris
Summary: IYYYH KagomeKurama Millennia have passed since the last war, youkai are still recovering as are the humans. Humankind has gone back to the Dark Ages with subtle hints of a past. Kurama has been on the brink of death, but refuses to die for one reason, the


_Yeah, yeah, should have typed up another chapter of Replaying History in More than One Way. It was bashing my head in, so I typed this up instead. It's weird, I admit it. Let me know of some better titles._

**Chapter 1- The Beginning**

Kurama supervised the maids as they cleaned the stone floors. It was hard to think how much humans could change in a few millennia. A large nuclear war had wiped out the majority of humanity. They were starting to make a come back now. Around the same time, youkai had a worldwide civil war. Mainly thanks to Yusuke's tournament, there were many unhappy with the third leader and had lead to revolt.

The forces of Reikai were also involved in that battle since it could change the fate of Ningenkai. It also got their forces out of the way of the nuclear war. So Kurama, Hiei, Yusuke and Kuwabara were involved as well as any other being that knew how to control their reiki.

Kurama's eyes glazed over as he remembered the horror of that battle. Allies would attack each other; Reikai was trying to reestablish order while they were all dying out. Only the strongest youkai survived, and the strongest humans. Even then, the best died. Reikai refused to mourn his loss, but secretly, Koenma and the remaining Reikai Tantei mourned. Even the emotionless Hiei had shed a tear, the first tear of his lifetime. The great Yusuke Urameshi perished from blood poisoning, despite efforts to keep him alive. All of his antidotes didn't work on the weakened Spirit Detective. When he had died, there was no time to mourn, or time to bury.

"Kurama, Kurama." Kurama snapped out of his reverie. A maid was waving her hand in front of his face. He smiled lightly.  
"I did it again didn't I?" he asked. It wasn't uncommon for the maids to snap him out of his flashbacks. To the contrary, they seemed to do it daily.  
"Yes, we finished this room, what else needs to be done now?" she asked. Kurama went over the list of everything that was happening today and whom may need help to finish their tasks.  
"There's a ball tonight to introduce the princess to her potential suitors. We could go and help them out there." The maid giggled and waved the girls to gather up all of their pails and water. Even after several millennia, Kurama hadn't changed much. There was more wisdom in his eyes and the pain of losing someone close to you. There were a few silver hairs in his red mane, silver not gray. He had lost the ability to turn into Youko Kurama since that battle, his heart would burst if he transformed due to the stress. He found that out when he was attacked. But it was only because of Youko that he was alive, his youki was slowly repairing his heart. One cell every few decades.

It was for that reason that he was pardoned from any strenuous work. The king and queen understood that. They were extremely kind and forgiving. The servants had proper living conditions and were never whipped. Just like the old world, they were given holidays for family and friends. Kurama never left the castle, his family was here, and his friends; they had decided it was best to stay apart. The daughter was said to go in disguise as a maid every now and then to help them out. She never fooled him and joked with him about it. There was a certain reason why she never slipped by him, and a reason that he was so loath to leave. Kurama shook his head to stop himself from slipping into another daydream.

Those had been good times, and there hadn't been anything else that filled that longing in him since he had lost it. Not that he looked very hard, he stayed loyal to the one that he fell in love with.  
"Kurama are you coming?" So much for not going into daydreams. He smiled once again and went out the door and headed to the ballroom.

"What are you doing here Kurama?" the butler in charge of the ballroom preparation demanded. Kurama swept out his arms in an act of innocence."We finished in our section and came here in case you needed help. But if you don't-" Kurama waved a hand and the maids under his supervision gathered all of their items again.  
"Then we will go somewhere else." He made as if to leave and, as practiced and explained; the maids followed him.  
"Wait Kurama!" the man yelled. Kurama smiled lightly. "How do you do this all the time?" The question was more to him than asking Kurama. He waved the maids over.  
"We need thrones polished and the dais cleaned," he suggested. Kurama split the maids into groups and sent two each for a throne and the rest to clean the dais.

The two butlers oversaw the maids work, although Kurama's coworker was more active and running around. A hint here and there was all that was needed for Kurama's maids, however his coworker needed more persuasion and threats to get his work done.  
"I don't see how you do it Kurama," his coworker gasped. Kurama chuckled.  
"Many years of practice Shitsuji, and one serious talk with them at the beginning of my work year and whenever we get new maids. Then they can talk about what they want while they work. They find it funny that I daydream frequently too. But it gives them some more confidence in themselves. Didn't we talk about this last week?" Shitsuji gave him a stressed smile.  
"Yes, we did."  
"That's the thing about women, they work better if they're happy." He smiled sadly in memory of his own love, but refused to think about it anymore.

Shitsuji left the maids alone for a while, letting them work on their own. Kurama knew that he was also listening to the gossip of the maids under Kurama. He snorted.  
"Nonsense, how could you listen to that all day long? It's ridiculous."  
"It stops them from asking me to bed them though, so I'm glad to let it continue. A fair bit of the information they gather is correct though. Your Highness shouldn't be here though." Kurama turned around to a new maid. Shitsuji blinked in confusion for a moment.

"Can't you let me have a little fun every now and then Kurama?" A maid pouted.  
"Shouldn't you be studying Your Highness?" Kurama retorted.  
"Do I have to pull rank?"  
"Do I have to inform their Majesties? I'm certain that they won't be pleased to find out that you were trying to sneak in to do scullion work again." The princess pouted and left, taking off the blond wig and fake glasses.  
"That was?" Shitsuji was confused.  
"Her Royal Highness Rinne, whom loves to work with the maids every now and then even though it is beneath her."  
"Why do you deny her that joy?" Shitsuji asked. Kurama looked at the wall, refusing to meet Shitsuji's eyes.  
"She reminds me of someone I lost," he whispered. "I'm afraid that I may say something out of my place so that I won't be able to work here any longer." Shitsuji looked at him in astonishment.

Luckily for Kurama, his crew called him over to look at their work. Kurama left the conversation gladly, Shitsuji reminded him too much of Yusuke, but he had a good ear for people's problems. Kurama found he drawn to the young man, and had few doubts that this could be one of Yusuke's reincarnations. His group of maids was also quieter than the others, he never figured out why. Their gossip was only what they themselves had seen, none of the regular outrageous comments like the princess having lost her virginity. It was if he had an entire network of fully capable spies without even asking for it.

Although, if that had occurred, the man would not be alive right now. He felt Youko stir.

'_Time?'_ Youko's voice was tired.  
'No, just the usual,' Kurama replied.  
'_Oh, you know what to do. When?'_

Youko was referring to when they would be leaving this castle. Soon people would begin to notice he wasn't aging in a normal rate, demons were feared and burned. Just like the Salem Witch Trials. Kurama had no intention to be killed, not before he was properly reunited with his mate.

'Soon. She's so much like her, it will be hard to leave her; but Hiei will take care of her.' Youko sighed.  
'_It's always the same, I can't wait for things to change.'_ He grumbled. Kurama agreed silently.  
'Save your energy Youko. You're doing a lot just by keeping us alive.' Kurama got the feeling of a shrug.  
'_We may be able to do more activity in a few years. You should rest soon.'_

Meaning that he would have more heart trouble in the very near future. It happened constantly, especially before his heart recovered some more. Youko claimed that it would strengthen his heart; Kurama said that it would kill them.

Sure enough, he felt his left arm going numb.

"Shitsuji," Kurama started faintly. "Take over for me for a while." Shitsuji looked over at Kurama and nodded.  
"Girls, follow him," Kurama ordered. Shitsuji looked at Kurama again.  
"Yoake, take Kurama to his room please. We can't have him collapse on his own before he gets there." Yoake curtsied slightly and stood by Kurama. He gave a wavering smile to Shitsuji before leaving. Yoake followed him closely, watching for any signs of him collapsing.

Kurama was able to make it to his room without collapsing, he was fairly certain that his face had gone pale. He dismissed Yoake with thanks and assurance that he would return. He entered his room and made his way to the small bed. He felt his heart falter, Kurama slid down and crawled to his bed before leaning back.

Kurama took a deep breath before he entered further into his meditation. It was the best way to stay alive, if not more alarming. His heart flickered again.  
'Inari please let me live this day.' He pleaded before he went into a deeper trance and prepared for the memories to emerge from their locked form. For the first time for fifty years, he was Shuuichi Minamino, Kurama and Youko. Kurama was just Shuuichi and Youko in complete agreement. He saw Kuronue, then Hiei, Yusuke and Kuwabara. Then the images settled on one face, showing what memories he would relive.

"Watashi wa Higurashi Kagome desu."

_All questions will either be answered in the next chapter or later on in the stories. So ask away, I won't always answer though._

_**Names:**_

_**Shitsuji- **butler_

_**Yoake- **dawn (just random)_

_**Rinne-** reincarnation (I didn't choose it, bro did.)_


End file.
